The Role of Microlearning Videos in Corporate Training
The way we learn, and the way we instruct and train others, has had to change and adapt to today’s hybrid workforce. The good news is that we’ve landed on a medium and technique that resonates with wide audiences, both in-person and online.
Microlearning videos, deliver information in an engaging, sustainable, self-paced format. They can be used for everything from using new software, to understanding workplace rules and practices. In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of microlearning, share some best practices, and give you tips and templates to create your own videos.
What is microlearning?
Microlearnings are short learning activities. The content of microlearnings can range from video to text and multimedia, but the key is to keep it straightforward and concise.
These short bursts of content are contrasted to long and overwhelming lessons you might get in a workplace training session or class lecture. Comparatively, microlearnings help viewers avoid distractions, stay engaged, and boost information retention rates.
While there is no time limit to microlearnings, they should be kept as short as possible without cutting out any necessary information. Keep it to the “need to know'' rather than the “nice to know,” and you’re on the right track.
What are microlearning videos?
Microlearning videos are short videos that deliver bite-sized nuggets of information in an engaging way. This visual format allows trainers to share multiple forms of media including photos, graphs, text and stats, video clips, voice-over, and more, all with engaging animations.
Numerous studies have shown that video trainings are as effective as in-person trainings. Pair this with the success of microlearning, and you’ve got the perfect solution for all sorts of topics and trainings.
Benefits of microlearning videos in corporate training
Learning and development is a crucial part of any growing business. Now that many companies have developed a fully remote or hybrid workforce, corporate training videos are needed to support ongoing training. Luckily, video is no compromise. In fact, there are plenty of benefits of microlearning videos in corporate trainings.
Video creation is fast and easy
Video trainings are much easier to create and conduct. Rather than coordinating your entire team’s calendars, you can share videos that can be watched asynchronously. And instead of gathering materials, setting up a room, and practicing your pitch, all you need is an idea.
With simple online video editors like Animoto, video creation is a breeze. Just choose a template, upload your media, and drag and drop your way to a professional video.
Improves employee information retention
Video helps learners retain information by engaging multiple senses including sight and sound. One single video can contain webcam recordings, illustrations, photos, voice-overs, webcam recordings, and more to appeal to different learning styles. Because of this, e-learning can increase information retention by 25% to 60%.
Employees learn at their own pace
By putting the learners in control of when and how they participate in trainings, they can understand and consume content much faster. In fact, video helps viewers learn new topics in 40-60% less time than a traditional classroom, according to Codeless.
With the ability to pause, rewind, and re-watch videos, anyone can reinforce and relearn topics as they go. This not only gives learners more control over their lessons, but it creates a safer space for them to ask questions and take notes without slowing anyone else down.
Trainings can help you increase revenue
Learning and development is a huge component of employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity. According to TechJury, comprehensive training programs have resulted in 218% higher revenue per employee and 24% higher profit margins. Not to mention that investing in your team and supporting their development can increase retention rates so you keep your top talent.
4 Tips for creating effective microlearning videos
One of the greatest things about microlearning videos is their brevity! This means that they’re much quicker and easier to make and update. But if you want to speed up the process even more, sign up for a free account with Animoto. All you have to do is choose a template, add some text, then drag and drop your way to a professional video in minutes. Let’s dive in!
1. Choose one specific topic per video
Microlearning videos should be concise and quick to the point. To help keep engagement and retention high, stick to one topic per video.
2. Get to the point quickly
Long intros distract from your core message and can bore viewers. Make sure to get the point across early on in the video.
3. Use visuals to support the narrative
There are many different kinds of learners. Some people prefer to read, while others prefer to listen or learn visually. In the case of microlearnings, visuals can help convey your message in a shorter amount of time.
With video, you can use a mix of different visuals including graphs and charts, icons, animations, text, video clips, and images. Use the visuals that align with your video content and help you tell your story more effectively.
4. Share additional in-depth resources
Help learners continue their education after the video by sharing additional resources. These can be company intranets, whitepapers, reports, longer videos, websites, and more. This provides learners with the opportunity to dig deeper into topics after their microlearning videos.
How to make microlearning videos for corporate training
Corporate trainings are just one of the many ways you can implement microlearnings. They can be used to train your team, department, or company in new policies and processes. By sharing microlearning videos on a regular basis, you can support your team’s continual learning even with busy schedules.
Here’s how to get started!
1. Start with a video script or storyboard
Scripts and storyboards can save you a lot of time in the end. By laying out what you’ll say, when you’ll say it, and what visuals you’ll use, you’ll make sure nothing is left out.
As you create your video, you and your team can refer back to the scripts and storyboards to make sure everything is on track. This will also help you gauge how long or short your video is going to be.
Finally, scripts can help you create voice-overs and webcam recordings with confidence. Knowing just the right words to say will cut your awkward pauses and “umms” in half!
2. Choose a video template or start from scratch
Video templates make creating microlearning videos easy. Instead of building your video bit by bit, you can start off inspired with colors, animations, media, and text already in place and ready to be customized. You can start off with a specific template like this one for submitting expenses or start from scratch and simply choose the styles, animation, colors you want.
3. Upload your video clips, images, logos, and more
Next, upload your media. With Animoto, you can seamlessly integrate your cloud drives to import your media in minutes. Or, you can collect and upload photos, graphs, video clips, and more straight into your workspace. If there are any gaps, fill them in with stock content! Just remember that when you’re selecting media for your video, you should only use items that add value to your video. Otherwise, let your text and voice-over shine.
4. Add screen and webcam recordings
If pictures are worth one thousand words, multiply that times 10 for screen and webcam recordings! Microlearning videos can be made almost entirely with screen and webcam recordings. They’re a great fit for technical tutorials and complicated tasks where you need to show your screen. Meanwhile, webcam recordings can make your content more engaging and memorable. With Animoto, your screen and webcam recorder is integrated into your video editor so you don’t even need to open a new tab.
5. Collect feedback from your team
Once you’ve created your video, get another set of eyes on it. Ask stakeholders for video feedback to make sure that your video content is accurate and clear. They can also help point out typos and dated information so your microlearning video is the best it can be!
6. Download and share your video
Finally, once you’ve collected and implemented your video feedback, just download it and start sharing! Microlearning videos can be shared virtually anywhere that allows your learners to watch them on demand. Company intranets, shared cloud drives, internal training websites, and even LinkedIn are great places to share your videos.
Microlearning video examples (with templates)
Last but not least, let’s watch some microlearning videos in action! All of the videos below were made with Animoto templates which means you can make them too for free! Just click the buttons and start creating your own microlearning videos in minutes.
Workplace explainer
Need help teaching your team about the importance of new workplace practices and norms? Create an explainer video! This can easily be customized with details about your values, recent policies, learnings, and more.
Employee onboarding guide
Microlearning videos are a great way to get new hires set up during their first days. They can keep these videos in their back pocket whenever they need them, which means smoother onboarding for you both!
Workplace how-to video
How-tos are one of the most versatile videos at your disposal. They can be used for everything from setting up your email to closing sales. Just keep in mind that every video should take one “bite” out of the topic, so don’t overload it with too much information at once.
Technical tutorial video
Help your team use a new software or tool with a quick tutorial video. Use voice-over to coach your audience through each step of the process. You can also add screen recordings so it’s easy to follow and learn as you go.
Make a microlearning video with Animoto
Microlearning videos are great all around. Not only do they deliver bites of information in a quick and engaging way, but they’re extremely easy to make! With Animoto, you can create videos in minutes. And with saved templates all you have to do is create a microlearning video once to have the basis for winning videos, every time.
Looking for more training video inspiration? Continue reading on our blog for more video ideas, tips, and templates. Happy video making!
Microlearning video FAQ
How long are microlearning videos?
While some people debate how short or long microlearning videos should be, about 30 seconds to 3 minutes seems to be the sweet spot.
Where can I share microlearning videos?
Microlearning videos can be shared on YouTube, hosted in company intranets and cloud drives, or any other place where people can access them on demand.